Role of dietary lecithin as an emulsifying agent in poultry nutrition: efficacy and feasibility

Advancements in science and technology have resulted in a noteworthy improvement in the productive performance of poultry birds. This improvement has been achieved using balanced nutritional practices, the use of feed additives that enhance growth and effective disease prevention or control. Emulsifiers are frequently used food additives in animal and poultry feed to improve growth performance and overall health. One of the benefits of emulsifiers is aiding in the mixing and stabilisation of fats and oils in feed, which can enhance the digestibility and absorption of nutrients. Emulsifiers commonly used in avian feed include bile salt, soy-lecithin, lysophatidyl choline, lecithin, Gglycerol polyethylene glycol ricinolate (E 484), and sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL). These emulsifiers are used to enhance fat digestibility and enhance productivity performance. Lecithin has recently gained interest as a possible fat emulsifier because of its several health benefits. Lecithin, derived from plants, is widely used as an emulsifier in the livestock and poultry feed industry. It comprises over 45 naturally occurring lipids, half of which are phospholipids. The addition of lecithin to the diet has demonstrated eenhanced effects on production performance and nutrient digestibility in avian birds, apart from improving their health status and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) activity. Research has demonstrated that lecithin increases lipid metabolism and alleviates the negative effects of fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) in laying birds. Feeding broilers, a diet containing 2% lecithin significantly reduces their blood cholesterol levels and improves their growth performance. This review offers an overview of lecithin's practical usefulness in poultry feed formulation and provides insight into its feasibility and efficacy with respect to fat digestion in poultry birds.